If the city’s Design Review process is dramatically overhauled, as currently proposed, it could cut one or two months off the time it takes a development to get through the permitting process. The speed-it-up aspect was touted at the start of the mayor’s announcement earlier this month that the proposal was ready to go public.

But is that the most important goal? That’s one of the questions being considered by the City Council’s Planning, Land Use, and Zoning Committee, which got its second briefing Tuesday on the proposed Design Review changes.

One reason for scrutiny of the proposed changes: Design Review remains the only part of the project-vetting process that requires public meetings for some projects. If these changes pass, fewer projects will have to go through Design Review – and most of those that do will have fewer, if any, meetings. The overall changes are summarized in this council-staff memo:

1. Require early community engagement by applicants with the community;

2. Modify the thresholds above which design review is required. To ensure consistent application, thresholds will be based on the total square footage in a building instead of dwelling unit counts, use and zone;

3. Establish new thresholds to determine the type of design review required based on site and project characteristics;

4. Change the composition of design review boards (DRBs) to replace the general community interest seat with a second local residential/community interest seat and allow more than one Get Engaged member to participate on the boards; and

5. Modify and update other provisions related to design review.

At Tuesday’s briefing, city staffers focused on two components – the “new thresholds” and the “early community engagement.” The latter would in effect replace the first public meeting for some projects – with a new type of “outreach” that developers will be expected to arrange.

7:06 PM: Feel like dancing? The east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center is doing dance-floor duty right now with The Disco Ballz performing @ the Admiral Neighborhood Association‘s second-to-last Summer Concerts @ Hiawatha show. Of course, it’s also OK to just sit there and listen, whatever your preferred self-provided seating might be:

The show’s on until 8 – while Hiawatha’s official address is 2700 California SW, the east lawn is along Walnut, south of Lander.

ADDED 8:05 PM: Some video from their version of “Boogie Oogie Oogie,” the disco classic by A Taste of Honey:

Yes, people got up and danced! One more video clip to come with that (added – here it is):

And a photo:

If you can’t quite see her, the guy in the middle has a tiny dancing partner. Speaking of tiny dancers –
next week, the season finale for this free concert series – with co-sponsors including WSB – will bring them out in abundance, for the ever-popular kindie rock of Caspar Babypants (6:30 pm Thursday, August 24th).

Summer break is winding down, and next month Seattle’s youth head back to school. The Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) is launching Operation TREE-IAGE (Triage) to make sure that the city’s Safe Routes to School locations are clear of overgrown vegetation so that students have a safe and clear walking path. This important safety project will prune trees and vegetation along school routes to improve safety as part of Vision Zero so that drivers have clear visibility of traffic control signs such as STOP, CROSSING and SPEED LIMIT. Crews will be targeting areas around Seattle’s 59 public elementary schools.

Beginning Monday August 14, through Friday August 18, 6 teams of SDOT inspectors began inspecting routes along Seattle School District elementary schools looking for areas where trees or other vegetation blocks the visibility of school zone signs, beacons, signals, and sidewalks.

Beginning Thursday August 17th, SDOT staff began notifying adjacent property owners if their sidewalk was partially blocked by vegetation.

On August 21 through September 1, SDOT and contractor crews will focus along these school routes to prune overgrowth before classes begin this fall to clear sidewalks for students who walk to school, and make sure all traffic control signs, signals and beacons are free of overgrowth so drivers can adjust their speeds accordingly.

All major tree pruning operations will be overseen by an ISA certified arborist (as required by City Ordinance). Most SDOT gardeners are ISA Certified Arborists and/or Certified Horticulturists. All pruning crews will include experienced Urban Forestry Gardeners to ensure the best outcomes.

SDOT will also be engaging Seattle residents to share information on tree trimming and vegetation maintenance requirements in the right-of-way. In addition, SDOT is working with Seattle Department of Construction and Inspection to educate residents of the City’s weeds and vegetation ordinance.

(Photos courtesy Alina Guyon: Sheryl, Patrick, Justin, and Alina on either side of agency executive director Bolingo Ntahira show off the finished library, complete with benches out front)

By Judy Pickens
Special to West Seattle Blog

The Ugandan library that started as an ambitious idea in West Seattle is now open for business.

The 200-square-foot library, stocked with nearly 5,000 donated books, opened July 24 in the Hope of Children and Women Victims of Violence compound in Ndejje Central Zone south of Kampala, where English is commonly spoken. Run by a small staff backed by refugees and volunteers, the non-profit supports people traumatized by violence and extreme poverty with education, health care, and social entrepreneurship. Most are refugee children from South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Congo, and other African countries.

(Alina Guyon oversaw the loading of 8,000 pounds of books and other donated media, the prefabricated building, supplies, and furnishings into a container headed for Uganda)

Alina Guyon, going into her junior year at Holy Names Academy, spearheaded “Libraries for All,” from writing the business plan to stocking the shelves. Long interested in the plight of refugees, she chose the project for the impact it would have and as a way to earn her Girl Scout Gold Award.

The All the Sky Foundation got the ball rolling by offering Alina a $25,000 grant toward expenses. She put out a call in December for book donations, with VAIN Hair Salon as the principal drop-off point for West Seattle residents. Fauntleroy Church UCC and Hope Lutheran School donated by the boxful. Alki Lumber and Home Depot came through with building supplies and Better Built Barns in Salem, Oregon, signed on to prefabricate the building. Gifts from family members and friends rounded out the budget.

A shipping container left West Seattle in mid-April, packed with 8,000 pounds of building components and books. Alina, her mother Sheryl Guyon, and builders Patrick Anderson and Justin Laughery then finalized plans to meet up with the container in mid-July in Kampala.

After several days on site to get acquainted with the refugee agency and area, Alina and Sheryl faced the unexpected challenge of getting customs to release the container. A little assertiveness with “higher-ups” ended the standoff, leaving the crew only three and a half days to assemble and stock the library.

(Justin, Sheryl, and Patrick worked late into the night to finish the interior)

Each day was long and hot and the paint was barely dry when they hung the curtains right before the opening celebration.

Uganda has the fastest-growing refugee population in Africa, and violence and protracted poverty deprive many children of an education.

Through newly appointed librarian Alice(above), a 19-year-old refugee from the Congo who spent a year concentrating on learning English, Hope of Children and Women Victims of Violence will sustain free access to the library’s resources and offer movie screenings and other community events to foster literacy.

“None of this would have been possible without all the amazing support I received from people all along this journey,” said Alina. “A BIG thank you to everyone!”

Visit libraries4all.com to read more about this project and subscribe to receive updates.

Alki Kids Place (AKP) is a popular children’s activities program sponsored by Alki United Church of Christ (Alki UCC), located at 6115 SW Hinds, in the heart of Alki.

Enrollment is now open for AKP’s school year program, beginning Wednesday, September 6, for children aged 5 through 12, at alkikidsplace.org.

Alki Kids Place was founded in 2008 as a ministry of Alki UCC. Since its inception, the program has served hundreds of Alki/West Seattle families seeking quality, affordable programs in a safe, caring, and nurturing environment. In addition to the School Year component, AKP offers a summer day camp and expanded sessions when Seattle schools close for the day.

Cynthia Barrientos is the new director of Alki Kids Place. An accomplished educator with extensive experience in children’s programs, Cynthia notes that she is “delighted with this opportunity to serve our community.” She began her career as an elementary classroom teacher in Auburn. She has also served as Director of Seattle’s K-12 Homeschool Resource Center and as Director of Extended Day Programs for Westside School, where she facilitated after-school activities. Most recently she served as school administrator for Alki UCC’s partner synagogue, Kol HaNeshamah.

As director of Alki Kids Place, Cynthia says her goal is “to ensure an inclusive, safe, creative and playful environment with an emphasis on mindfulness activities and environmental stewardship.” She looks forward to meeting AKP parents and families at an “Alki Kids Place Open House,” scheduled for Thursday, August 31, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at Alki UCC. Contact her at alkikidsplace@alkiucc.org.

DUMPED CARRIER: Reader Datamuse wonders if you recognize that Sears X-Cargo carrier, which they found dumped in their Highland Park yard Sunday morning; neighborhood-level inquiries yielded no information so they’re sharing the photo West Seattle-wide here. P.S. Datamuse adds, “If there was anything in it before it was dumped, it’s gone now.” If it might be yours, let us know.

I heard odd noises in our alleyway around midnight last night. I looked out my window to try and figure out what it was coming from. It was hard to see, because my apartment window can’t see the ground of the alleyway, but I was able to deduce that 2 guys were opening the resident garage door with a jack. I called the police and explained the situation to them as they were trying to open the door. I stayed on the phone with the operator continuing to give information and updates as we waited for an SPD unit to arrive. Unfortunately, the 2 guys were able to get the door open, get inside for some time (while 1 stood outside to watch guard), and drive off in their car before the unit arrived.

I was pretty disappointed with SPD, because they had ample time to catch these guys – at least 30 minutes to respond. I stayed up until a little after 1am to see when the unit would show up, but never saw any police show up in the alleyway.

While disappointed, I don’t blame the SPD. I understand they must allocate their scarce resources carefully, and this call was not life-threatening, so it probably ended up low in their priority – probably even lower, once the crime was over, and the guys were gone. That said, I think the operator could have been more clear about ETA of the unit. If I had realized it would take 30+ minutes for a unit to arrive, I might have yelled out the window to try to scare them away and prevent the break-in.

I went down into the garage this morning to see if there were any cars broken into. I did not see any, but did see a bike rack had been sawed into and a bike was stolen from the bike room. This is the 4th time that our bike room has been broken into (that I am aware of).

SUSPECTED PACKAGE-THEFT ATTEMPT: From Nicole on 46th SW between Juneau and Raymond in Seaview:

(Wednesday) I witnessed a man and a woman entering the yard of our neighbor across the street, in an apparent attempt to take packages from their front porch. This was around 12:20 pm.

They must have seen me/someone because they decided against it and ran to their car.

My husband was able to run out and get their license plate # as they sped away heading S on 46th Ave.

The car was a newer white Honda Accord; the plate number, which started with AA, was provided to police. Nicole adds, “Our next-door neighbor had her packages stolen a few weeks back.”

Imagine not having to cross the Duwamish River to get to your job. There are just a few ways to make that dream come true – telecommute, start your own (local) business, or … get a West Seattle job. Yes, they do exist. We showcase them in the West Seattle Jobs Offered section of the WSB Forums (listings are free for local businesses) – and now, the first-ever Westside Job Fair is in the works! Presented by the West Seattle Junction Association and the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce (and co-sponsored by WSB), the job fair is set for 10 am-1 pm Wednesday, September 6th, at Great American Diner and Bar in The Junction (4752 California SW). Bring your resumé, because participants – the list, so far (more to come), is here – will be interviewing on the spot.

SUMMER CONCERTS AT HIAWATHA: 6:30-8 pm, the Disco Ballz boogie back in time to the ’70s on the east lawn at Hiawatha Community Center, as previewed here. Free – bring your own chair/blanket/dancing shoes. (Walnut/Lander)

PARENTS OF TODDLERS: Support group for parents of 1- to 4-year-olds meets at In Tandem Midwifery, 6:30 pm – drop in or pre-register; info here. (4522 44th SW)

WHITE CENTER VIOLENCE PREVENTION SUMMIT: Happening in South Delridge, 6:30 pm, King County Sheriff John Urquhart and County Council Chair Joe McDermott top the bill for the White Center Violence Prevention Summit. Presented by the White Center Chamber of Commerce at Speed of Sound Studios. (9409 Delridge Way SW)

Family and friends will gather on August 25 to pay tribute to Nancy A. Qualls, and are sharing this remembrance with the community:

NANCY ANN QUALLS, 5/30/1946 TO 7/17/2017

Nancy was born to Leolla and William Qualls at Providence Hospital in Seattle. Most of her life was spent in West Seattle. In high school she was involved in Spades, a volunteer program that assisted handicapped kids to go on outings. This experience drew her to become a special-education teacher. She attended Central Washington University in Ellensburg. While she was there, her father suffered a heart attack and she had to leave school to help support the family. Her time working at Kentucky Fried Chicken convinced her to return to college to finish her degree after his recovery.

She took a teaching position at Woodside Elementary in Burien, where she also lived. Teaching was something she loved, and she enjoyed the companionship of the others there. She met and married her husband during this time. He accepted a forestry position in Madras, OR, and Nancy commuted back and forth to Ellensburg to pursue her Masters degree. At the age of 28 on one of her trips, she had a horrible car accident that left her brain-injured and paralyzed on the right side. Her mother cared for her in Madras, and when her husband left her, she moved back to Seattle.

It was due to her strong and stubborn nature and incredible willpower that she recovered enough to walk again. Eventually she was able to live a mostly independent life with the help of her family and friends. As she aged, she needed to use a powered wheelchair to get around. She was busy going full speed ahead in her chair; taking the bus to the Junction, swimming at the YMCA, visiting Starbucks, Barnes and Noble Books, Easy Street Records, etc. She loved embroidery and drawing trees in the parks. She loved the ocean and became fascinated with Native American culture, particularly the Lakota.

After her mother died, she lived at The Kenney briefly, at Daystar Assisted Living, where she enjoyed going to Westwood Village, and lastly, Normandy Park Senior Housing. It was here she fell and broke her hip, had hip replacement, and was doing well in rehab. She took a turn for the worse and died at Highline Hospital the evening of July 17, 2017.

Join us on Friday, August 25, at 2:00 pm in the chapel at West Side Presbyterian Church, 3601 California Ave SW, for a memorial celebrating Nancy’s life.

(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)

It’s been a long road for the Delridge Grocery Co-op. Is their food store getting close to reality? The “professional market study” mentioned in our update last September is in, and DGC says “the results are favorable” but – “there is a lot to think about.” They hope you can help with that by showing up for their next step: A town-hall meeting 6:30 pm Wednesday, August 30th, at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (4408 Delridge Way SW).

Thanks to James Bratsanos for the photo of tonight’s sunset – colorful without wildfire-smoke enhancement. It was also spectacular before the sun emerged from the clouds, as Don Brubeck‘s photo from Alki shows:

Five weeks left in summer … the autumn equinox is at 1:02 pm our time on September 22nd.

Big crowd tonight for the ribboncutting celebration at Summit Atlas, West Seattle’s first charter school, about to start classes inside a renovated – and soon to be expanded – ex-church/ex-supermarket at 9601 35th SW. The school is starting with sixth and ninth graders, adding a middle- and high-school grade each year until it’s a full 6th-through-12th campus; its soon-to-be-students were invited to help cut the ribbon tonight (our video above pans along the line).

Classes at Summit Atlas start 8:15 am Monday for ninth-graders, same time Tuesday for sixth-graders. This is the third school in Arbor Heights, joining Arbor Heights Elementary – which will start its second year in its new building next month – and Westside School (WSB sponsor), which is heading into its third year at its AH campus.

4:48 PM: On the Delridge Way pedestrian overpass at SW Oregon, Hate-Free Delridge is keeping its promise of “standing for peace.” The photo above shows the signs and their holders facing southbound traffic; several are facing the northbound lanes too, with signs including “Words Not Warheads” and “Peace and Justice on Earth.” Their plan, as first announced Sunday – with the explanation “We need to be heard. We need to speak out” – is to be here until about 6 pm, and you’re welcome to join them. Lots of honking from passing drivers so far.

(added)Susan Lebow of HFD explains what it’s about:

5:08 PM: More people continue arriving to join the demonstration, all ages including a family with two kids who just walked up.

Added above, a photo of the side facing northbound traffic (some of the signs, political and festival, were hanging on this side long before the event).

5:36 PM: The signs span many sentiments – now from left to right on the NB-facing side, No H8, Peace and Love, Enough!, Black Lives Matter, Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Respect Indigenous Rights, (“no” symbol) Naz, No War No Hate, Words Not Warheads, Hate-Free Zone, “Sure He’s An Ignorant Bigot, But He’s Our Ignorant Bigot, Support Bigot Trump,” No War, Build Unity, Peace and Justice on Earth, and a few with lettering just out of our reading range. The only sound of dissent we’ve heard, hanging out here by the overpass for 45 minutes – someone in a dugout at Delridge Playfield behind us yelled “Trump all the way!” likely out of earshot for those up on the overpass.

6:01 PM: This was scheduled to end about now, but demonstrators are still up on the overpass, and new signs have continued to appear. One that we just noticed says, “We Love You, Heather,” in remembrance of Heather Heyer, the woman killed by the driver who plowed into the counter-demonstrators at the white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend.

6:07 PM: It’s now breaking up. If you’re wondering “what’s next?” we’ve just been told that Hate-Free Delridge and other groups will join West Seattle Neighbors for Peace and Justice in The Junction on Sunday, noon-1 pm, and you’re invited to that gathering too – bring a sign if you want to.

Two neighbors on the south side of The Junction contacted us today to let us know about this report from their neighborhood e-mail list. We are republishing it with permission:

I just wanted to let you guys know about some stuff that happened last night in front of our house between 9-9:15 pm.

A young Asian girl in her twenties was walking back to her car that was parked in front of the house when a man came out of the alley and approached her. He demanded her papers because he believed that she was a “commie.” After she refused, he violently pushed her to the ground. I saw this happen and ran outside to see if she was ok. At that time he said something and walked off and went down the stairs to 41st. I didn’t have a phone on me and didn’t report it but I told her that she needed to report it. I tried to get as much information out of her as possible but she was shaken up and wanted to get home as soon as possible. She regularly parks in the neighbor(hood) since she works in the Junction.

She later contacted me and gave me this description: ‘He was a middle-aged white male with glasses, long wavy black and white hair, wearing a t-shirt and khaki shorts. He didn’t seem taller than 5’9″. Didn’t seem drunk.’

Another neighbor encountered the man shortly thereafter and wrote:

He came down the stairs to 41st Ave SW and turned south. I was checking my mail right after a TV show ended at 9 pm. He approached me saying that he was just attacked by a group of Asians and that I shouldn’t go up the street (towards Safeway). … He was around 55 years old and my height 5’-9” with glasses. I didn’t notice his clothing. He kept saying that the attackers ‘weren’t like him and I’. I assume he was meaning white. He also mentioned something about the attackers not being citizens. It’s my opinion that he has a mental issue. He continued walking south on 41st Ave SW.

The repaving work that’s under way this week on the west section of SW Admiral Way has more of a history than most other “spot paving” projects SDOT announces shortly before they start. When Admiral Way rechannelization west of California SW was first brought up in 2015, calls for repaving resurfaced, but it wasn’t part of the project, and it wasn’t even part of the SDOT long-range plan (see this map). But the road has had persistent bumps, sinks, and other problems, especially near Schmitz Park, and some residents have been persistent about urging that SDOT get something done, including Tim Nelson, who shared the photos.

Last May, we reported on a sinkhole, thanks to a tip, and it was finally filled days later, but that’s continued to be a trouble spot – one of several revealed as SDOT ground off the old pavement yesterday:

Nelson says he has been trying to get something done about this section for a year and a half. He rides a motorcycle and has as a result been extra-aware of the bumps and holes. After getting nowhere with SDOT, he contacted City Councilmember Lisa Herbold; this is from a response she sent him in late June:

… in response to yours and my requests, Transportation Maintenance Division Director, Rodney Maxie, conducted several site visits in West Seattle last week, including this segment of Admiral. In response to my follow up questions last week, when several Admiral Way constituents visited me at my office hours on Friday, SDOT told me the following:

“Mr. Maxie, or one of his Pavement Maintenance leads will follow up with an assessment of Admiral Way. Depending on the ensuing assessment, Mr. Maxie may request a follow-up site visit with the residents who have sent in complaints about the pavement conditions on these blocks. While this street is not prioritized as an AAC project, Rodney will be looking to see whether it might be a good candidate for nearer term spot improvements.”

And then, last week, this week’s work was announced. Meantime, work is still ahead for nearby intersections, including the conversion of 59th/Admiral to an all-way stop; we are checking with SDOT on the newest timetable for that, since it had been announced as “before school starts.”

This year we will have the State’s “Don’t Drip and Drive” campaign at the school, performing free leak inspections for visitors during the show hours, and ASA will be also hosting a “Lights on for Safety” event and performing exterior bulb checks and free replacement at the same time (in the auto program at the school). There are scheduled tours of several programs at the school, beer, wine, coffee and soft drinks available during the day in the Wine Academy (also hosting tours), along with kids’ activities. Food trucks will be announced soon! Live music from the Disco Cowboys, playing classic rock. Raffles and giveaways during the trophy ceremony.

That’ll be at 3; the show starts at 10. SCC is at 6000 16th SW on Puget Ridge.

P.S. WSB is again co-sponsoring the show; West Seattle Autoworks, Swedish Automotive, and South Seattle College are all WSB sponsors. It’s free to be a spectator, and bring a non-perishable food donation for the West Seattle Food Bank if you can!

Interested in being showcased during the West Seattle Art Walk this fall? Speak up fast! The announcement:

We’re seeking artists for the upcoming Q4 Art Walk:

The West Seattle Arts Council is currently seeking artists to submit their work for the upcoming Q4 (Oct/Nov/Dec) digital and printed Art Walk promotional materials. This includes the printed walking map postcards and posters that will be displayed around West Seattle.

This is a great opportunity for artists to have their work prominently featured and promoted in our community! Please submit your work through (this) link. The deadline to submit is Thursday, August 17th.

The West Seattle art walk is a monthly art event that is held the second Thursday of each month 5pm to late year-round. The art walk is hosted by the local West Seattle merchants who feature a wide range of art and showcase our vibrant artist community.

Thanks! We look forward to reviewing the submissions!

And even if you’re not an artist – here’s another way to get involved:

Are you interested in learning more about the Arts Council and West Seattle Art Walk? Our committee meetings are always open to anyone who would like to get involved promoting arts in West Seattle. Our next meeting will be held on Friday, August 18th 9 am at Uptown Espresso (Edmunds/California). We would welcome the community spirit of adding more art here in West Seattle.

FERRY SUPERSTRUCTURE PASSING BY:As previewed on Tuesday, you might see the superstructure of the new state ferry Suquamish passing by West Seattle, headed from Tacoma to Harbor Island, tonight or early tomorrow.

7:20 AM: Good morning! No West Seattle (or nearby) incidents or major slowdowns reported so far.

REPAVING CONTINUES: Through Friday, SDOT is repaving SW Admiral Way between Lander and Stevens [map]. The work started yesterday and is scheduled to resume at 9 am today; we’ll be taking a closer look later today.

NEW FIRE STATION 32: And one more reminder … the new FS32 at the site of the old one (37th/38th/Alaska) was occupied as of yesterday, so if you drive/ride/walk SW Alaska, note that for the first time in about 2 years, you might be seeing SFD units roll out of that site.

8:47 AM: SDOT reports a crash at West Marginal Way and SW Spokane. No SFD medic dispatch, though. And if you’re headed to/through downtown, as pointed out in comments, there’s a police incident blocking part of 5th. SPD says they’re using a robot to “check out a suspicious item at 5th and Pike.”

9:04 AM: SPD says the downtown investigation is over and roads are open again.

STOLEN PACKAGE, AND BIKE RACK: Joyce says these happened the same night last week:

We had a package taken from our front door Sometime between Thursday evening and Friday afternoon. It was a large box so it probably seemed like a good pick. However, it contained 2 boxes of Honest Company diapers. If the thieves have a baby then maybe it was a good find. If anyone happens to see these discarded somewhere, please let me know.

Also, our bike rack was stolen from our car. It was a Yakima holdup 2. If you see anything resembling that it would be helpful to know. Thanks so much!

SDOT’s point person on street (and alley) vacations, Beverly Barnett, explained that Nucor’s interest in an adjacent 25,175-square-foot section of unimproved 29th SW – added to the self-storage project’s request for 2,029 sf of unimproved SW City View – dated back to 20 years ago, when tracks were built there as part of a plan that ultimately fell apart. As noted in our preview, the self-storage company is promising a $300,000+ “public-benefit package” including improvements to the Alki Trail, such as moving utility poles. If the street vacation gets final approval, the land also would have to be purchased from the city at fair-market value.

Only one person spoke at today’s hearing, and his concerns involved the 850-storage-unit building’s projected 56-foot height (almost 30′ below what the site’s zoned for), not the street vacation itself. But if you have comments, you can still send them to the council before its September vote – find all councilmembers’ contact info here.